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Re: Do I purchase a breast pump if I'm planning to breast fe

There is no need to purchase a breastpump prior to having baby. With decent knowledge and support, Most mothers are able to nurse just fine and never need to pump unless or until mom is separated from baby for work or school etc.

If it turns out you need a pump in the early weeks due to breastfeeding going very poorly, the best pump for such a situation would be a hospital grade pump which you would rent from your hospital or a lactation Consultant, not buys, because they cost a thousand dollars or so. Certainly, you could do a little research on where pumps are available so you know where to go in the unlikely chance one is needed.

For all new moms, I suggest, to get breastfeeding off to the best start possible, become a little educated about breastfeeding & what is normla in the early weeks with an infant, and line up support you can call on for help. For both I suggest reading the book The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (8th edition) and attending as many LLL meetings as you can if you have them locally (or any other breastfeeding support group) and hanging out here on these forums.

Another tip is to clear your schedule! The first several weeks with a baby are very very intense. You will in all likelihood be entirely occupied with your baby day and night for at least the first several weeks. And that is if everything is going perfectly! So, if you can, ahead of time, line up anyone who can give you real support t and help-make you food, clean the house, run errands, hold baby while you shower or eat, etc.

Re: Do I purchase a breast pump if I'm planning to breast fe

I agree with LLL meg. If you're not planning on separations from baby, it's likely to not be worth the cost. I bought one when my son had trouble latching and didn't use it past the first month. Renting a hospital grade would have made more sense. Hand expressing can work just fine for short separations. But if you have insurance, it's worth a call to them as pumps must be covered under the new medical act. I know some mothers have had issues with their insurance companies but mine was very up front and helpful about it.

Re: Do I purchase a breast pump if I'm planning to breast fe

with the PPs. I got a "just in case" pump before my first child was born. It was a used pump that had belonged to a friend, but I figured that was enough, since I intended to use it only in an emergency. Well, it ended up that breastfeeding didn't get off to a good start and I did need a pump- but the pump I needed was a hospital-grade rental, not the beat-up loaner that I had. Moral of the story: if you run into trouble, you want the hospital-grade pump. If you don't run into trouble and intend no separations from your baby, there's no need for a pump.

Re: Do I purchase a breast pump if I'm planning to breast fe

Hi Mommal,

I have a question about your last comment here... you said that if you run into trouble u would need a hospital grade pump... what kind of troubles are you talking about?

I am having some issue with latching, but i am still breast-feeding, and hoping that this will get get better. But I am still planning to get a pump as I will be returning to work in a months time. so for my situation do i also need to rent a hospital grade pump? or the medela PISA is enough for me?
Thanks!
ruks

Re: Do I purchase a breast pump if I'm planning to breast fe

When moms run into trouble in the newborn period, a hospital-grade pump is likely to be best for helping them create and maintain supply. Problems that might result in a newborn's mom needing a hospital-grade pump would be things like a non-latching baby, a sick baby who is separated from mom, a baby with a tongue tie, severe nipple trauma, low supply, a baby who isn't gaining weight, a jaundiced or extremely sleepy baby.

For the mom of an older baby who has sufficient supply and who is able to nurse pretty well, a PISA or equivalent pump is likely to be all that is necessary. But if you go back to work and find that the PISA isn't enough, renting a hospital-grade pump might be something to consider; hospital-grade pumps are generally a step up from even the best consumer models.

Re: Do I purchase a breast pump if I'm planning to breast fe

Thanks everyone for the advise. I will not be going back to work anytime soon, so I will be able to dedicate my time to breast feeding. Plus, the hospital that I will be giving birth at is well known for their lactation classes and I plan on taking advantage of them.

I had asked this questions originally because I have had a slew of friends who were not able to breast feed (for various reasons) and advised me to look into a pump. I have no idea what my breast feeding experience will be like once I start doing it, so I am just trying to prepare myself in case I run into any trouble.

Because my insurance is Tricare, they will NOT cover the rental of any kind of breast pump, so the option of renting a hospital grade pump is not an option for me. If I do need a pump I will have to purchase one.

I guess I will just have to wait and see how it all goes for me, and make my decisions at that time.

Re: Do I purchase a breast pump if I'm planning to breast fe

If you will have access to a pump, and aren't going back to work soon, you'll likely be fine without a pump. I knew I would be going back to work, but didn't plan to start pumping immediately, until my son ended up in special care for some unforeseen issues, and the hospital where I delivered did not have a pump I could use. I ended up needing my pump after all, because I was not able to breastfeed my son for about a week in order for his issues to be addressed.

Re: Do I purchase a breast pump if I'm planning to breast fe

And even if the worst happened and you did need to pump, the best strategy would probably be to rent the hospital-grade pump and eat the cost. Pump rentals are generally fairly inexpensive- I paid $3/day for mine, and kept it for 2 months. Total cost: $180. The average cost of a year's supply of formula is $1500-2500. Spending money on the good pump in order to ensure breastfeeding success- it's just simple economics!